New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-07-06
Commencing in season.

to slaughter to furnish meat for the
supply of his family, but most of them
he expects to sell in the market. Most
likely they were all in poor condition
at the end of the winter, and only be-
gan to pick up when the grass IN the
pastures became tall enough to afford
sufficient food. With an ample supply
of sweet, tender grass and clover, not
only cattle and sheep, but hogs, would
steadily lay on flesh and fat until the
frost appears in the fall. But num-
Der Of causes prevent the pastures from
affording constant supply Of good
fodder plants. Ordinarily, an old blue
grass sod will furnish the desired food
from April to November, and with sea-
sonable rains the stock will be well
provided for. But droughts are of al.
most yearly occurrence, and compare
lively few pastures are seeded to grass
es that will grow if their is an absence
of rain for several weeks. The stalks
of timothy and red top become hard
and dry during q drought, and red
clover ceases to grow. The growth of
wild prairie grasses is small and their
quality becomes poor.
Farmers are likely to neglect provid-
ing suitable food for stock thew design
to fatten till crops are ready to harvest
in the fall. They place quite too much
reliance on corn for making both flesh
and fat. Generally they do not put
sufficiently high value on grass and
other fodder plants which animals will
thrive on. if they had them in abund-
ance. With a variety Of grasses and
clovers a farmer can produce beef
mutton, and pork at very small cost.
A variety, however, is essential, as few
fodder plants, with the single exception
of blue grass, will furnish rich and
sweet food during several months in
succession. A feeder should endeavor
to introduce such grasses into his past
ures as will insure constant supply
Of food. Most grasses that start early
in the spring do not afford good food
late in the season, while those that are
most luxuriant in the fall are slow in
starting IN the spring. Some forage
plants like red top and Alsike clover,
only do we'll on moist land, and others
thrive best on that which is quite dry.
Pains should accordingly be taken to
sow each kind Of seed on the land that
is best adapted to it,
Ordinarily June is the best month in
the year for adding to the weight and
improving the condition of farm an
imals. Most forage plants are then at
their best. Water is ordinarily abund-
ant, and that in pools and creeks is
reasonably pure. There are few insects
to annoy animals. The temperature is
delightful. Animals designed for
slaughter should have the best oppor-
tunities to improve during the present
month. If pasture is overstocked,
it's boundaries should be enlarged OF
grass and clover cut and hauled into
it. This food will do the animals more
good than it will later in the season.
Food consumed by animals serves three
useful purposes. It repairs the waste
that is constantly taking place in the
system. It produces heat in much the
same way that fuel does when consum-
ed ina stove. It makes milk, flesh, and
fat; the last two being stored up.
Much of the food eaten by animals
during the winter goes to produce heat.
A large proportion of that eaten in the
spring or late in the fall goes to repair
bodily waste. In the summer, when
the weather is warm and pleasant, and
animals are not required to go long
distances in search of something to eat
and drink, most of the food they eat
contributes to increasing their weight.
Provision should be made for keep
ing upfthe supply OF green food during
warm weather, in case the grass in the
pastures is short on account of lack of
rain. There is ordinarily little obiec-
ton to allowing stock to Craze in now
ing fields after the grass is harvested.
The sod is generally hard, SO that it
will not be broken by the feet of cattle.
The clover sown with spring grain
often affords excellent feed few weeks
after the grain is harvested, though
care should be taken not to allow
hungry animals to eat too much of it at
one time. An acre in cabbages will
afford large amount of food that is
relished by cattle. The green stalks of
sweet corn furnish one of the best
substitutes for growing grass and
clover, and the one that is most easily
supplied. It is not too late to plant
sweet and common field corn TO be
used for helping out the deficiency in
grass. 1t is the proper time for plant
ing pumpkins and squashes for stock
TODD. They are very desirable in the
fall, before cattle are put on hay and
grain. They are easily sEaised and
handled, andsin the EASTERN states are
highly valued for producing heef, pork,
and mutton
Animals that are to be disposed of
for their meat should be selected early
in the season and supplied with every
thing that will insure steady gain in
flesh and fat 1t is a good plan to Sc
leet the sheep that are to be fatted at
the time of shearing. IF the weight
and quality Of their feeces show that
they are improbable to keep for their
WOOL their flesh should be utilized.
Ewes that are not good feeders and
wethers that are inclined to force their
way through or over fences are unpro-
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